When someone like Michael Jackson dies, it is a major news story, equal to the news of the death of Elvis, Sinatra, and US Presidents. The news that Farrah Fawcett died was not quite as shocking in relation to the news about Jackson. We knew Farrah was dying of cancer. Her death, though sad, was expected. It could have come as a relief to her and her family after a long-suffering struggle with her health problems.

Los Angeles robbery & homicide police are in charge of the high-profile Michael Jackson case. We will learn of any real health problems ailing Michael Jackson as the days go on. He was certainly rumored to have many such issues over the years. The day, June 25, 2009, will stand as one of those days that people will recall and ask, “Where were you when you heard…?”

Where were you when you heard that Elvis died? I was driving from a radio station toward home. I turned around and headed back to the station. I ripped the story off the teletype and kept that script for many years. On the day John Kennedy was shot, our elementray school was dismissed early. The 3 news networks followed the story non-stop throughout the next several days, through the funeral. It was an incredible time. I remember where I was when I heard the news that Superman, George Reeves, had shot and killed himself. That was devastating news to an 4-year old boy. How could Superman be killed? 

This news is hard to process. It will be talked and written about, movies will be made. Record sales and downloading through the Internet will sky-rocket. Michael Jackson was putting out #1 records when he was 10-years old. When the Jackson 5 appeared on the Ed Sullivan show, Sullivan said to the audience, “That little fella out front was phenomenal”. He was a phenomenal star. Like Elvis, who died at age 42, Jackson was relatively young at the time of his death. Age takes a toll on all of us. Our childhood heroes grow old and die. Starlets we admired, age and don’t look anything like the pinup pictures we remember from our teen years. We only have our memories of the way things used to be.

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